H.C.R. No. 165


HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Citizens from Lamar County are visiting the State Capitol on May 4, 2005, to celebrate Paris/Lamar County Day; and WHEREAS, Located in North Texas in the heart of the Red River Valley, Lamar County was once home to the Caddo Indians, who are believed to have occupied the area shortly after 500 A.D.; during the 1600s, Europeans began to explore the land, and Anglos first settled there around 1815; officially organized on February 1, 1841, Lamar County was named for Mirabeau B. Lamar, the fourth president of the Republic of Texas; and WHEREAS, George W. Wright, a member of the 3rd Texas Congress and a major promoter of the founding of the county, donated 50 acres of land for a townsite, which became Paris and was established as the county seat in 1844; and WHEREAS, A center for commerce and manufacturing, Paris has long played a significant role in the development of the area; today, the city is home to four Fortune 500 manufacturers, yet it maintains its small-town charm, as evidenced by its 1920s downtown architecture; the city is also known for the unique photo-op offered by its distinctive landmark, a replica of the Eiffel Tower topped by a cowboy hat; and WHEREAS, In 1997, Paris was designated the Official Crape Myrtle City of Texas, and according to local legend, the city is also the birthplace of the French fry; as the story goes, Fletcher Davis, who ran a small cafe in Athens, introduced the hamburger to an appreciative crowd at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904; when interviewed by a reporter from the New York Tribune, he explained that the sandwich was his invention but that he learned to make the accompanying crispy potatoes from a friend in Paris; the reporter thought he meant Paris, France, and wrote about the delicious hamburger and its companion "French-fried potatoes"; and WHEREAS, Food enthusiasts may enjoy the city's culinary lore, but those who prefer outdoor recreations will take pleasure in Crook and Pat Mayse Lakes, which offer many sporting activities; the community's Sam Bell Maxey House and other historic sites impart a sense of the town's rich heritage; and WHEREAS, Residents of Lamar County ensure the vitality of their region by preserving their rich legacy and preparing for a productive future, while providing tourists with an attractive and enjoyable destination to visit; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby recognize May 4, 2005, as Paris/Lamar County Day at the State Capitol and extend to its citizens sincere best wishes for an enjoyable visit to Austin. Homer Craddick Geren Menendez Allen of Harris Giddings Merritt Allen of Dallas Gonzales Miller Alonzo Gonzalez Toureilles Moreno of Harris Anchia Goodman Moreno of El Paso Anderson Goolsby Morrison Bailey Griggs Mowery Baxter Grusendorf Naishtat Berman Guillen Nixon Blake Haggerty Noriega Bohac Hamilton Oliveira Bonnen Hamric Olivo Branch Hardcastle Orr Brown of Kaufman Harper-Brown Otto Brown of Brazos Hartnett Paxton Burnam Hegar Pena Callegari Herrero Phillips Campbell Hilderbran Pickett Casteel Hill Pitts Castro Hochberg Puente Chavez Hodge Quintanilla Chisum Homer Raymond Coleman Hope Reyna Cook of Navarro Hopson Riddle Cook of Colorado Howard Ritter Corte Hughes Rodriguez Crabb Hunter Rose Crownover Hupp Seaman Davis of Harris Isett Smith of Tarrant Davis of Dallas Jackson Smith of Harris Dawson Jones of Lubbock Smithee Delisi Jones of Dallas Solis Denny Keel Solomons Deshotel Keffer of Dallas Strama Driver Keffer of Eastland Straus Dukes King of Parker Swinford Dunnam King of Zavala Talton Dutton Kolkhorst Taylor Edwards Krusee Thompson Eiland Kuempel Truitt Eissler Laney Turner Elkins Laubenberg Uresti Escobar Leibowitz Van Arsdale Farabee Luna Veasey Farrar Madden Villarreal Flores Martinez Vo Flynn Martinez Fischer West Frost McCall Wong Gallego McClendon Woolley Gattis McReynolds Zedler ______________________________ ______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 165 was adopted by the House on May 4, 2005, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 165 was adopted by the Senate on May 4, 2005, by a viva-voce vote. ______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: __________________ Date __________________ Governor